Today’s hymn focus will be

“Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”

 Deuteronomy 33:27(NLT)       

“The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you;”

Anthony Showalter of Dalton, GA was a Presbyterian elder that was well-known for being an advocate of gospel music. He published over 130 music books and became known in the South for his singing schools in local churches.

He was a very relational teacher, taking interest in his students’ lives even after they had finished his school. After finishing a class one night, he returned to his room to find two letters from two former students, both sharing the news that they had lost their wives. He went to the scriptures to find words to comfort them and found this verse in Deuteronomy. As he pondered on the scripture, these words came to mind:

          Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms

          Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

After writing this chorus, he sent the words to his friend, hymnist Elisha Hoffman, saying “I can’t come up with any verses” After writing three stanzas, Elisha sent it back to him and he set it to music, giving us these words to cheer us up in our times of trouble.

We need to wake up and sing this song loud and with faith proclaim:

What have I to dread, what have I to fear? Leaning on the everlasting arms

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near. Leaning on the everlasting arms

YOUTUBE:

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms